This invention claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2001-107973(P) filed Apr. 6, 2001 entitled xe2x80x9cBaseball Glove.xe2x80x9d
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in a hand receiving belt for a baseball glove.
2. Description of the Background Art
A hand receiving belt 11 of a conventional baseball glove 1 is generally formed by extending a back member 10 from a region below a thumb base 10b to a region below a little finger base 10a and engaging the ends thereof as shown in FIG. 5, or by producing a separate piece which extends from the region below the thumb base 10b to the region below the little finger base 10a of back member 10 and engaging this piece at both ends.
A comfortable fit of a hand into a glove is effectuated by inserting fingers into the respective finger portions and securing a back portion of the hand with a hand receiving belt. Therefore, various methods of securing fingers in the finger portions and of securing with the hand receiving belt are devised as disclosed.
Among improvements of the hand receiving belt, Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 6-57378 discloses a baseball catching gear in which a belt body is attached for sandwiching both sides of the hand being inserted in a hand receiving belt portion. Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-28855 discloses a glove in which a tightening member is inserted between an outer leather and an inner leather of a hand receiving belt portion and the opposite ends thereof is drawn to the outside by an amount arbitrarily set and held.
A devise of securing the back portion is also disclosed for a glove in which an opening portion is not provided between the upper end of hand receiving belt 11 and each finger base as shown in the above noted FIG. 5, and the entire back surface is covered up. For example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-46780, a hand receiving portion of the back member covering the entire back surface is divided into three pieces, which are tied with a strip-like piece. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-213675 shows that an entire region from lower ends of finger stalls of the back member to a part corresponding to a wrist is formed of a stretch fabric, and a fastening belt is formed between a lower end of a little finger portion and a lower end of a thumb portion of the finger stalls.
A required property for a baseball glove desirably includes a good feeling of inserting a hand, a good flexibility at the time of catching a ball, lightness in weight, high durability, and good shape retention.
As in Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 6-57378 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-28855 mentioned above, however, although tightening of the hand a, receiving belt portion can adjust the fit of the wrist portion, strong tightening impairs an operation of catching a ball and also a feeling of inserting a hand.
Furthermore, as in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-46780, although the back member covering the entire back surface eliminates injury of the back of the hand in tagging play, it deteriorates the flexibility of the glove at the time of catching a ball and also increases the weight. In addition, it may deteriorate air permeability inside the glove, so that the user feels hot and stuffy. An improvement in this point is made in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-213675, in which a hand receiving portion is firmly fastened by a fastening belt, resulting in a poor feeling of inserting a hand, similar to the above mentioned Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 6-57378 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-28855.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a baseball glove configured with a ball receiving member, a back member and a back covering member, wherein the back covering member is extended from right and left side portions of a hand receiving portion to an outer side portion of a thumb base and an outer side portion of a little finger base of the back member, and extended in at least one of the directions toward a central line of each finger portion and toward the intervening space between finger portions of the back member, from the hand receiving portion.
When the number of the directions toward the central line of each finger portion and/or toward the intervening space between finger portions of the back member from the hand receiving portion of the back covering member is one, the glove has a good flexibility at the time of catching a ball and is light in weight. As the number increases to two, three or more, the glove has a less flexibility and becomes heavy, but it becomes highly durable and less likely to deform.
Furthermore, when the back covering member is formed of a flexible synthetic resin to which a raised fabric having a good feel is affixed at a part to be in contact with the hand, or is formed using a synthetic resin sponge, the glove comes to have a good feeling in inserting a hand, exhibits better resistance to backward bending at the time of catching a ball, and also is light in weight, highly durable and less likely to deform.
In accordance with another aspect, the present invention provides a baseball glove, including: a main body portion formed integrally with a ball receiving member and a back member and having a finger inserting hole for inserting a finger thereto; and a back covering member attached to the back member placed on the side of the finger inserting hole to form a hand receiving portion for receiving a user""s hand. The back covering member includes a first protruding portion extending on a little finger portion of the main body portion, a second protruding portion extending on a thumb portion of the main body portion, and a third protruding portion extending on the back member placed between the little finger portion and the thumb portion of the main body portion.
Preferably, a first opening portion is provided between the back member and the back covering portion placed between the first protruding portion and the third protruding portion, and a second opening portion is provided between the back member and the back covering portion placed between the second protruding portion and the third protruding portion.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.